When we dance
by simplymondler
Summary: A warm fuzzy piece. Set about 2 weeks before London. AU Mondler.


When we dance

A warm fuzzy piece. Set about 2 weeks before London. AU Mondler.

* * *

"What're you up to now?" Rhonda asked as she hefted her handbag strap onto her shoulder.

Monica glanced over at her coworker, "sadly, I've got absolutely nothing planned," she admitted with a shrug as the door to the restaurant closed firmly behind them. The kitchen had been hectic all day and she was tired, but it was a rarity that both women were out early on a Friday night _and_ at the same time. She liked Rhonda, got on well with her, yet with their ever varying shift patterns, she never got the chance to socialize with her.

"You wanna come with me to this dance class-thing I'm heading to? It's a lotta fun and a great way to meet guys," she wiggled her eyebrows. "There's some real cuties there, too. We might be able to find you someone nice…take some of the pressure off when your mom asks at the wedding…?"

Monica chuckled, she admired Rhonda, she was one of those 'lust for life' kinda girls; she was always doing something and had probably never heard of spending a Friday night in. Plus, she had a point about her mom; Ross' second wedding was just a couple of weeks away.

"What kind of dancing? Am I dressed ok?" she gestured worriedly to her casual clothes and converse trainers.

"Oh Girl, hush, you're dressed fine, it's just some dancing," she laughed, "They do all kinda styles but it's always so elegant and classy, you'll love it, I promise," she raised a shaped eyebrow, "so, you game?"

Monica thought back to the whole 'fake Monica' incident – it had been fun to do something spontaneous, what's the worst that could happen? "Sure why not? I'm in."

"That's the spirit, hun," Rhonda's beaming smile lit up the sidewalk. "We better move our butts fast though if we wanna make it, c'mon."

Much to Monica's amusement, Rhonda grabbed her arm, pulling her along at a fast pace. After a short walk she halted abruptly at a small doorway.

"This is it," she gestured, "just up 'em stairs." She led the way and Monica followed, curious to see what they'd find at the top.

It was a medium-sized studio, the décor a little old fashioned but it gave it a bit of character. There were some large mirrors alongside one wall where people were milling around. Rhonda led her over to a slightly older lady who was at the front sorting through some papers.

"Hey Liz," Rhonda greeted the grey-haired lady with her usual enthusiasm, "this here is my friend Monica. I invited her to come along tonight."

"Fabulous. The more the merrier, nice to meet you, dear," Liz waved and Monica returned the sentiment as Rhonda handed over some money.

"How much do I-?"

"My treat, girl," Rhonda dismissed easily as they turned to head to where the other people were gathered. "Just enjoy."

Monica nodded her thanks, watching as Rhonda waved and greeted a few people that she obviously knew. They found some space by the wall and Rhonda placed down her handbag and coat so Monica followed suite.

"Oooh, you see that beauty of a man?" she gestured to a tall guy that seemed to be looking in their direction, "that's Dex, he's been my partner the last few times. He's damn good, if you know what I mean?" she winked at Monica before she turned and waved at him.

Monica chuckled before a thought suddenly hit her, "wait, partner? Do I need a partner?" she had a sudden flash of panic, remembering the numerous occasions in high school when no one had wanted to pair up with her. Each and every time she'd had the humiliation of pairing up with the teacher. She glanced again over at Liz, as pity pairings went, she didn't look too bad.

"Of course you need a partner," Rhonda laughed, "you can't dance on your own. Don't worry we'll find you someone." She seemed a lot more confident about that fact than Monica did.

"Who?" Monica worried, her eyes searching through her possible options. It was so hard to tell who was 'spare' as people were in groups chatting away, laughing. "Come on, you know these people best, who would be willing to dance with me?"

"I'd dance with you."

Monica spun around in disbelief to come face to face with Chandler. A small playful smile graced his handsome features, his eyes dancing.

"Chandler?" she laughed, on instinct she pulled him in for a quick hug, her lips skimming across his cheek. "What the heck are you doing here?"

"He's been here the last couple of weeks," Rhonda answered for him, her eyes assessing them, "I take it you all know each other?"

"Yeah, this is Chandler," her hand stayed firmly on his arm, "one of my best friends, lives across the hall from me," Rhonda nodded in recognition, "and Chandler, this is Rhonda, she's one of my friends from the restaurant."

He stuck out a polite hand but Rhonda just waved him away and pulled him into a tight hug. Bemused and more than a little scared, he threw Monica a questioning look but she just grinned shaking her head.

"People, people," Liz called from the front, "it's time for some dancing! Please grab yourself a partner and make it onto the dancefloor- no fighting, remember how to share."

"Well, you have fun," Rhonda smiled, lowering her voice slightly, leaning in to speak just to Monica, "he may be new but he's one of the popular ones, so hang onto him," she winked and then strode off purposefully towards Dex who was waiting for her.

"Shall we my lady?" Chandler offered her an arm and with a grateful smile she took it and followed him onto the wooden dancefloor, finding a space near the back.

"Since when did you come to dance classes?" she teased as people paired up around them.

"You'll laugh," he pouted a little, making her smile widen. She couldn't help it, she didn't know what it was about him lately but he was just getting so damn cute.

"I won't," she promised, her hand unconsciously rubbing up and down his arm, the smooth material of his suit jacket feeling soft under her palm, "there'll be no teasing, none at all, I swear...I'm actually _extremely_ glad you're here."

"Yeah?" he looked thrilled and more than a little smug at that information.

She chuckled softly, squeezing his arm, "yes, now tell me."

"Well-"

"Right, I see that everyone has somebody. Perfect. Now, the first dance will be a gentle waltz. Gentlemen, raise your left hand into the air, ladies meet that with your right hand in a mild clasp. Now, gentlemen, your right hands comes under to rest on her shoulder blade and ladies, lay your arm over the top. Perfect, perfect."

Chandler offered her a little lopsided grin as he followed the instructions. Monica had to keep her own grin in check, enjoying him being this close to her; enjoying his hand clasping hers. His fingers flexed slightly on her shoulder blade and he smiled at her, that soft endearing smile that had recently started to cause her heart to flutter; now was no exception.

They listened to the instructions, Chandler leading her through the practice steps with an unexpected grace, "you're good," she whispered surprised.

"Shh, I'm counting," he mock-scolded her.

"To three?" she teased, "you really have to concentrate on that?"

"Sush, woman, or I'm switching partners," he warned sternly but she could see that twinkle in his ridiculously blue eyes.

"We can't have that," she smiled back, tightening her hold on him, causing his eyes to dart up at her for a moment, with a look she couldn't quite decipher. They'd been sharing a lot more of these looks lately, ones that seemed to linger and hold more meaning than before.

"No, we can't," he finally said softly, his own grip tightening momentarily.

She swallowed.

"Right then, people, is everybody ready to try that to music?"

"Are we ready or did you want to practice counting some more?" she quipped.

He glared at her and she just laughed as they got back into the starting position. The music began to fill the room, it would have been so peaceful and romantic, like the princess at the ball, if it hadn't been for Liz shouting the steps over the top.

Still, Monica was very impressed with Chandler, how he gracefully moved them around the room, a quiet air of confidence surrounding him. It was a side to him she seldom saw but she liked it. Liked it a lot. She'd been liking lots about him these last few months. There'd been a subtle shift in the dynamics of their relationship, but she couldn't exactly pinpoint when it had happened. She didn't even know what had caused it or what had come first. But his looks, soft touches, smiles, everything had just seemed...more.

"Ross' wedding."

She blinked, confused as she came out of her internal musings and refocused on the actual man she'd been musing about, "what?"

"All this," his head moved slightly to indicate the room full of dancing people. "His last wedding didn't exactly feature much dancing, so it was ok that I sucked at it- we were kids, we were supposed to suck. But now, we're all pretty much grown-up, well on the outside at least," he joked, "there's gonna be a proper English dancefloor and snooty relatives and thanks to Tregar Joey's now an expert and…I just don't wanna make a fool outta myself," he shrugged slightly embarrassed, one of those cute little smiles appearing at the corner of his mouth, "besides, I'm the best man and I've gotta be able to dance properly with the best bridesmaid, right?"

She couldn't contain her smile, ducking her head slightly, she composed herself before looking back up and into his gentle eyes, "I'm looking forward to it already," she swallowed and he nodded pleased by her reaction and words. "I can't believe you'd go to all this trouble just for one night."

"More like one girl," he mumbled and she froze a little.

"What?" Had she heard him right?

"I, uh, I said it's not just for one night, it's a life skill," he covered and Monica frowned a little disappointed. "Besides, it's not really that much effort," he continued quickly, "I still have memories of Carol and Susan's wedding and how much of an idiot I looked then. You probably still have the scars on your feet from that experience," he shrugged a little apologetically, "So, I had the idea and then looked to see what was around and found this place. It's on the way home from work and close to the apartment, it seemed a no-brainer. Why are you here? Not that I'm complaining of course, it was just…unexpected."

"Oh, Rhonda invited me," she admitted, her brain still on his 'one girl' comment. She was sure he'd said it but why take it back? Was he just testing the waters, needing more reassurances from her to how she'd react if he took that hesitant first step? "It was a spur of the moment kinda thing and I thought it sounded like fun…now though, I'm really pleased I agreed to come," she lightly squeezed his hand.

She watched as another look crossed his face briefly before he nodded, seeming to file that information away.

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" Liz praised approaching them, "keep your backs straight, that's it," she placed her hands on both their backs, pressing slightly to bring their bodies closer, "that's it don't be afraid to get closer, perfect."

Liz moved onto the next couple to correct something, leaving them both blushing from the contact of their bodies.

"Well, the lessons seem to have paid off," she found her voice, "you're really good at this, Chandler."

The faint blush stayed on his face as he smiled at her fondly, "thanks, you're not bad yourself, you're a natural."

Pleased, she accepted the compliment, keeping her eyes on him a little longer than necessary. As they moved across the floor she kept stealing little peeks at him, trying to subtly study him. She caught him doing the same more than once, and a delighted shiver rippled through her.

The music came to an end and reluctantly they untangled but stayed close, very close. Liz started to introduce the next dance and Monica tried to pay attention, she really did, but she couldn't concentrate. Instead all of her attention was on the amazing man next to her, his closeness having a wonderful effect on her.

Suddenly, she felt his hand come to rest on the small of her back and she jolted in surprise, shooting him a little look but he appeared to be listening to the instructor. The hand stayed there, burning her. Her pulse quickened from the simple touch. It was silly. It wasn't even a particularly intimate gesture; the two had been a lot closer on many many occasions. His hand had even rested there before, like it naturally fitted in that spot when he was guiding her someplace. And she'd never really thought anything of it before but tonight it felt different.

Everything was starting to feel different.

Another ripple of excitement went through her.

Liz continued to talk about the next dance, a few chuckles even rang out across the room but Monica wasn't listening at all. Her focus was entirely on that warm hand on her back. She hitched her breath as she felt it move ever so slightly. Hesitantly, it started to stroke in small circles, instantly causing her body to react as goosebumps prickled her skin; tingles radiated through her. How could one little touch from this man have such a powerful effect on her?

Abruptly the hand was removed and Monica frowned, immediately missing its weight. Before she could protest Chandler was turning to face her, his eyes mischievous. It took her a moment to realize other couples around the room were doing the same and getting ready for the next dance.

"You alright?" he whispered, one warm hand taking hers, whilst the other settled on her hip, gripping slightly. It felt good.

"More than alright," she promised meeting his eyes, not holding anything back from him, letting him search and discover whatever he needed to.

After a moment a tug of a smile pulled at his gorgeous lips, "good," he stated simply.

Liz started calling out the steps, practicing the walk through. Chandler started to lead and Monica followed, enjoying the cute look of concentration on his face. It was all so crazy, this was Chandler, Chandler that she was falling for…by all evidence, falling for hard.

"Ok, people, very good!" Liz shouted. "Now, let's try this to a little music shall we?"

"You ready?" he teased as they prepared themselves and he pulled her a little closer, his hand caressing her hip gently, stirring all sorts of sensations within her.

She looked up locking her eyes with his, "I'm ready," she promised softly.

He stared at her a long moment before he swallowed, clearing his throat slightly, "good," his voice sounded a little husky, "I was hoping you might be."

Her eyes widened slightly, did he mean what she dared to hope? Her heart started to beat rapidly in anticipation. She had been pretty confident that this thing wasn't one-sided, that it wasn't just her noticing this delicate shift in their relationship. But did this mean he was actually willing to acknowledge it and explore their options? Maybe even do something about it?

God, she hoped so.

She didn't get a chance to reply as the music started to play and they began to move. She tried to ignore the other couples and the instructions being shouted over the music. She wanted to forget that this was meant to be a class and just enjoy the fact she was getting to dance with her favorite person.

"Ready for a twirl?" he asked.

"Wh-?" Too late, his grasp on her hip had loosened and he spun her around, catching her securely, his hand returning immediately to its former spot before she could miss its warmth. "Nice move," she chuckled and he beamed back proudly.

"I've learnt a trick or two coming here," he admitted.

They continued to move in silence for a little while. It felt so nice being like this with him, being surrounded by him. Her arm tightened around his waist and she rested her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes and inhaling his familiar scent through the light blue shirt he wore. She just wanted to savor and memorize the feel of being held like this by him, whilst they were at this exciting time in their relationship. Friends on the cusp of something more.

Monica couldn't tell for sure, but she thought she felt a ghost of a kiss gently pressed to the top of her head. With a contented sigh, she cherished the moment for a while longer before reluctantly raising her head. She smiled at him and he smiled back, almost shyly.

Liz chose that moment to interrupt, "don't let those elbows go too pointy," she warned, her hand on Chandler's arm straightening it.

She stepped back, critically studying the limb in question before nodding, seemingly satisfied, "very good very good." She moved to another couple and a comfortable silence settled over them as they listened to the music.

"Do you think they're rushing it?" Monica asked suddenly causing his attention to leave her and look around at the dancers in the hall.

"Who?" he asked confused.

"Ross and Emily."

"Oh," he blinked, "of course they are rushing things. No one could say any differently, they've not known each other very long, but I spoke with him, he's good."

"You spoke with him?" she frowned.

"Ye-ah," he shrugged a little uncomfortable as he twirled her again, "he's one of my best friends, I just wanted to make sure he was ok."

"That's really sweet," Monica praised, "thank you."

"You don't have to thank me because he's your brother," he insisted, "He's like a brother to me too and I just wanted to check on him. He's aware they are moving fast but he's in love and it feels right, so who can argue with that?"

Their eyes met, silent messages getting passed between them, "I guess some couples move quickly and others move at a slower pace, take their time. Build strong foundations of a truly incredible friendship before waiting for the perfect moment that's just right for both of them."

His eyes were still locked with hers, "yeah," his voice was soft, his face serious, "sometimes it's worth waiting for."

She swallowed, her grip tightening on him as she continued to search his eyes. This was so much braver than either of them had ever been before. There had been a few incidents recently but nothing like this. It thrilled her that Chandler seemed as ready for this as much as she was, seemed to want this as much as she did.

They continued to stare at each other for another moment, silently communicating their mutual feelings. Slowly their bodies came to stop, their dance fading out. She saw him lean in a fraction and her breath started to quicken in anticipation.

"Good work people, some wonderful magic happening here tonight. Just glorious. Go grab a drink and be ready in five."

She blinked, realizing the music had finished and people were leaving the dancefloor.

Chandler chuckled a little awkwardly and carefully disentangled from her, the moment well and truly broken. He ran a hand through his short hair, causing a few unruly strands to stick up at funny angles and she felt a rush of affection for him.

"Uh, let me just grab my, uh drink," he pointed in a vague direction and she nodded as he left. She watched as he made his way to the far side of the room.

"Things looked pretty intense," Rhonda was suddenly next to her smirking.

"He was going to kiss me," Monica admitted softly, she desperately wished he had. That she had got to experience what a kiss between them would feel like. She prayed she would get another chance, hopefully tonight whilst they were both still caught in this spell. She wasn't sure how much longer so could go on with the secret meanings and little touches without something happening between them.

She'd meant what she'd said to him earlier. She was ready.

"What's going on with you two? I thought you were friends, best friends, known each other for years friends."

"We are," she confirmed as she turned slightly, her eyes searching and finding him easily, "but I think we're both finally ready to take the next step."

"Way to go!" Rhonda cheered, "you guys look so cute together, you're gonna make such a good couple. My god, think how pretty your babies will be."

Monica laughed in surprise, shaking her head in amusement, "you're a little ahead of us, just don't say anything to him, please? Especially not about babies!"

"Sure thing, does he scare easy?" she asked, her eyes also on the man in question.

They watched as a young attractive woman made her way over to Chandler and started talking to him. Smiling, her hand touching his arm.

"Sometimes," Monica answered distractedly, watching the interaction across the room, "who's that?"

"I think she danced with him briefly last week," Rhonda informed her breezily, "she's probably asking if he wants to dance with her next."

"What?" Monica exclaimed, outraged by the very idea, turning to her friend, "he's _my_ partner, she can't do that!"

"She can try, honey," her friend laughed at her reaction, "a lot of people switch around between songs, but I don't think you have anything to worry about, she won't succeed; he is clearly wacko for you."

Monica sighed, hoping her friend was right. She watched relieved as he shook his head, turning down the pretty woman. He then looked in Monica's direction, meeting her eyes instantly across the room. It made her stomach flip and she offered him a shy smile that to her delight he returned.

"Told you," Rhonda said smugly, as Chandler started to approach them. "He's one smitten kitten. Now, excuse me, I'm gonna head back to my own kitten. Meow."

Monica chuckled as Rhonda left her to go mingle and Chandler reached her side, "hey," he grinned with his best boy next door smile.

"Hey," she grinned back, "I see you're in popular demand tonight."

"Well, who could resist this," he winked, then chuckled answering his own question in his usual self-decrepitating tone, "most people I guess."

"No," she argued, not letting him put himself down, "I, uh," she ducked her head, wanting to recapture the earlier mood, "I happen to think you're pretty irresistible," she let her hand fall onto his chest, her fingers playing with the end of his tie briefly.

His voice was a little rough when he spoke, "that's good, because you're the only girl I wanna dance with tonight, any night, you're pretty much stuck with me...if you want me."

She looked up quickly, catching her breath. His eyes were such a perfect shade of blue and were staring at her with such a perfect look of hope. She couldn't believe this was actually happening.

"I think that's pretty much a given," she said confessed softly.

He looked away, swallowing and chuckled lightly at himself as he took a step back. He unscrewed the cap of his drink and took a few sips of much needed water. Monica looked around the room realizing everyone was doing pretty much the same thing.

"Here," he offered, as if reading her mind, holding out his bottle to her, "it's just water I'm afraid, nothing fancy."

"Thanks," she enjoyed his fingers deliberately brushing slowly over hers as she gratefully accepted his offering, "water's great."

"Well, maybe I could treat you to something a little fancier after this? We could go for a drink or-"

She almost choked on the water, much to Chandler's amusement.

"You're asking me out?" she managed to ask. Surprised that he'd been _that_ bold. Despite everything passing between them tonight, she hadn't expected that, that he'd actually directly ask her out on a date.

"Maybe," he said, almost shyly, "that kinda depends on your answer."

She waited for just a beat, a slow smile spreading across her face, "What if my answer was yes, definitely, absolutely, yuh huh?"

A matching smile spread across his own face, his blue eyes bright. "I don't know, kinda makes you sound a little desperate," he teased, dodging the hand that went to slap his chest, "I'm joking," he promised softly, his hand coming up to stroke her arm endearingly. "That answer has made my day, hell my year."

"Then maybe-"

"Ok people, let's have you back please. Come along, we've got plenty more dances to squeeze in tonight."

He offered her an apologetic shrug, grabbing the bottle off her to screw the cap back on and toss it onto the floor. He then took her hand, lacing their fingers together as he pulled her onto the dancefloor. He easily found them a spot and wordlessly his arm slid around her waist as they waited for all the couples to rejoin.

It felt so good. So right that his hand was resting there. Like it belonged there. He was holding her like this and had asked her out. A thrill went through her, it all felt so surreal. Feeling eyes on her she looked through the couples and spotted Rhonda easily who gave her a thumbs up causing her laugh.

"What?" Chandler asked, looking down at her, his thumb brushing her side.

"I'm just very happy," she promised, "and very much looking forward to the rest of the evening."

He grinned, pulling her a little closer into his side, "me too," he agreed, his eyes holding hers captive.

Their attention was pulled back to the front as the instructions were given for the next dance. They got into position, standing closer together than strictly needed, as they started to walk-through the steps. Chandler fumbled slightly, their current situation no doubt distracting him somewhat.

The music began and Monica allowed herself to just appreciate it, letting Chandler guide her wherever he wanted, loving their bodies being so close, being held in his arms and those eyes staring into hers; she never wanted this to end.

She closed her eyes for a moment as they spun around and then she felt his breath against the sensitive skin of her ear, before she heard his whisper, "I really like dancing with you, Mon."

As he pulled back she opened her eyes and met his, "I like dancing with you too."

He let the chuffed look answer for him as he continued to move her gracefully across the room. The music sped up a little and he followed suite. Monica marveled again at the skill he showed, his feet expertly keeping up with the fast tempo, even if it wasn't technically the steps everyone else was doing. She didn't care, it was amazing.

"It's going to be a dramatic ending," she heard Liz shout, "get ready for a dramatic pose like we practiced last week on the count of four."

On four the music held the final grand note and all the couples paused dramatically, almost like an extreme game of musical statues. Neither Chandler nor Monica cared about their fellow dancers. The world seemed to narrow to just the two of them and this moment. They were frozen, their lips so close to one another that they could feel the other's breath. Their eyes were intense and locked in powerful gaze.

They didn't notice the music ending or people around them coming out of their poses. They stayed unmoving, both unwilling to let another chance pass them by. His dark eyes left hers briefly to drop to her lips and unconsciously she wet them. This was it. He was going to kiss her, he was actually going to kiss her.

Every nerve ending was tingling in anticipation, her own eyes taking a glimpse at his lips, wondering how they'd feel against hers, what they'd taste like. Then, oh so slowly, he leaned forwards, tilting his head slightly. He was so close to her and she could smell the faint hint of his cologne.

Then the wait was over. His lips pressed to hers softly, lingering there before he pressed a little firmer. She closed her eyes, focusing all her attention on those amazing lips as they slowly moved against hers. A gasp escaped her as she pressed harder, desperate for more. Her body molded to his, her arms sliding around his neck as his arms tightened around her waist.

She'd always wondered what it would be like to kiss him, yet for some reason she'd never expected this. It felt like electricity was coursing through her body, her heart was beating rapidly in her chest as she continued to explore his mouth, his tongue. God, he really was amazing at this. She felt one of his hands deliciously tracing up her spine and she couldn't suppress her shiver. His hand wove into her hair, cradling the back of her head as the kiss deepened.

Slowly, her awareness was pulled back to reality as a round of applause broke the moment. They pulled apart quickly, more than a little embarrassed. She heard someone that suspiciously sounded like Rhonda yell, "you go girl!" Mortified, she buried her face in his chest, feeling his heart beating just as rapidly as hers as he let out an uncomfortable chuckle.

"Well, that's not exactly as we practiced it last week," Liz laughed, "Right now, let's all get back to dancing."

As Liz drew people's attention away from them and started talking about the next dance, Monica hesitantly lifted her head from the safety of his jacket and met his eyes. He was still blushing slightly but there was a sparkle there and a small smile on his lips.

"Opps," he mumbled.

"Wanna get out of here?" she suggested.

"Monica Geller wants to play hooky?" he teased, an eyebrow raised before waiting a beat. "Sure. Grab your coat."

Trying to suppress a giggle, she seized his hand and hurried off the dancefloor. She quickly retrieved her bits and hand-in-hand they made it out of the hall, the opening bars of the next song starting behind them. They made it down the stairs and out onto the sidewalk, pausing to take each other and the enormity of this moment in.

He was going to kiss her again, the butterflies started to stir in her stomach as she leant forwards, meeting him half way. It was as good as the first time, maybe more so as they had a little bit more confidence and a little bit less of an audience. She melted into it as their lips caressed each other's passionately.

Eventually they pulled away, their eyes sparkling and their lips turning into matching smiles.

"So…" he started, wetting his lips as his eyes still holding hers.

"So…" she shot back grinning.

"We're doing this, huh?" he asked and she couldn't help but laugh in relief, a little bubble rising up in her chest.

"I sure hope so," she answered.

"Good," he swallowed, a hand coming up to brush her cheek lightly, his fingers lingering as his eyes creased in the corners, "I was kinda hoping that too."

How did the man get to be so cute? Monice knew the beautiful smile on his face was mirroring her own.

"How about that drink I promised?" he suggested, "we could go somewhere, talk a bit, maybe kiss a bit…"

She planted a chaste kiss to his lips to show her approval, "sounds like a damn good plan. Where do you wanna go?"

"Coffee house?" he shrugged, knowing he didn't want to go back to either of their apartments just yet.

She nodded, "not Central Perk though, I want us to have some privacy."

"Ok," he offered her a cheeky smile, "Just don't let Gunther find out, he'd be heartbroken."

She chuckled, thrilled that he reclaimed her hand with his as they silently navigated the darkening Manhattan streets. The city always seemed busy, whatever the hour; it was one of the things Monica loved about it. They stayed quiet, each contemplating their own thoughts and thinking about what to say next.

"How about here?" Chandler suggested as they paused outside a rustic-looking coffee house.

She glanced at it not recognizing it, "Looks great," she agreed. She'd never stepped foot in it before, but right now that's what she wanted- somewhere they wouldn't bump into anyone they knew. Somewhere they could be alone to talk a bit and kiss a bit; she grinned at his earlier suggestion.

"After you," Chandler held open the door for her and she offered him a smile in thanks.

She curiously looked around the small shop as she entered, taking in the mismatching tables and chairs, and the unusual painted brickwork.

"Kinda quirky," Chandler commented from behind her.

"Yeah, I like it though, seems cozy," Monica agreed, as they selected a small table towards the back of the shop.

Ever the gentleman, he helped her remove her coat, letting his fingers brush her shoulders in the process before he hung it on the back of a spare chair. She barely repressed her shiver.

"Usual?" he asked, knowing too well her preferences to hot drinks. You couldn't spend as much time as they did together in the coffeehouse and not know.

"Please," she nodded and he offered her one of his dazzling smiles before he wove his way through the tables to the guy behind the quiet counter.

She watched him go, her gaze involuntarily dropping to his cute tushie; man she wished he wasn't wearing his jacket. She grinned as a little ripple of pleasure went through her. She was allowed to look at him like this now and not feel guilty or have to hide it. She couldn't believe how tonight was turning out but she was thrilled with it so far and was gonna roll with it.

"Here you go," he appeared with a tray, placing a steaming mug in front of her.

Her eyes though were firmly on the over-sized muffin, "what's that?" she tried to ask casually but her rumbling stomach gave her away.

"That," he grinned, as he took his seat, extracting his own drink and the said muffin from the tray, "is a banana-nut muffin," his eyes were sparkling hoping she'd get the reference, "they only had one there, coincidence right?"

She chuckled, remembering that argument a year or so ago, "right, that time you licked my muffin."

He let out a slightly dirty chuckle and realizing what she'd said she blushed furiously.

"Yeah, I'm glad you remember that," he teased. "It damages my ego if a girl forgets me licking her muffin."

She laughed out loud in the quiet coffeehouse, much to her dismay a little snort escaped, causing Chandler to laugh along too.

"That was terrible," she finally managed to get out and he nodded agreeing. "If that's your level of flirting then we're in trouble."

"Oh, that wasn't flirting, you'd know if I was flirting," he held her gaze.

"If you say so," she teased, but she was already feeling a little warm from just the way he was looking at her. "So, are you willing to share this time," she gestured to the baked good.

"Always," he promised, grabbing the small knife and splitting the cake into two, giving her the bigger half.

She smiled her thanks, eagerly taking a bite, "hmmm, this is good."

He nodded in agreement around his own mouthful.

"Thanks for getting this in," she murmured after another bite, "I didn't realize how hungry I was."

"You're welcome, they had some cookies up there too, I'll get them with the next round unless you wanna go out for dinner somewhere instead?"

"You sure know how to spoil a girl," she quipped and he smiled, one hand uncurling from the warm mug and reaching across to take one of hers.

She was relishing in the feeling, loving it when he stroked her skin softly, "I've been wanting to spoil you for a long time," he admitted.

"How long?" she asked, "I mean how long have you liked me like this?"

She was curious, there had been that subtle shift between them but she wanted to know when it had started for him.

"I've kinda always had a soft spot for you," he confessed to her surprised look.

"Really?"

"Uh huh, you're pretty hard not to like," he flashed her one of those smiles, "If you had asked me out any time over these last 9, 10 years, I would have probably said 'yes'." Monica swallowed taking that piece of information in. "I guess it's got stronger this last year, especially these last few months. I don't know if that's because on some subconscious level I was picking up signals from you that you might be interested too. What about you? You didn't feel like this about me at the beach."

"I think even back then things were starting to change," Monica thought about it, abandoning her mug so both her hands could play with his. "I'd just broken up with Pete and my head wasn't in the best place. It would have been a disaster if we'd got together then, I would have been confused and besides, I genuinely thought you were joking."

"So, when did it happen?" Chandler prompted, keen to know, enjoying her hands messing with his.

"It was a gradual thing," she began, "I'm not sure exactly when or why but I started noticing certain things about you and that got me thinking a little more. Once I'd opened my eyes and I realized how much I wanted it, I started to try and drop subtle hints to gauge your reaction. Flirt a little. I guess I had to be cautious as it's a big thing to screw up. I didn't wanna risk our friendship only to find out I was reading the signals wrong."

"I get that," he promised, "it is a big deal, well it always was in my head you know? All the things that could go wrong and I overthought every possibility and now we're here, like this, it all just seems so…easy."

Monica nodded, knowing what he meant. She hadn't expected it to go anywhere near as smoothly as this. Hadn't guessed it would all just click into place. She released his hands in order to shift her chair a little closer to him.

"Encroaching on my land, Geller?"

"Yep," she beamed, her hand coming to rest on his knee, her thumb stroking, "got a problem with that?"

"Hell no." He leaned forwards, finding her lips and they both sighed into the kiss.

Afterwards, their heads stayed close together, her hands coming up to stroke through his soft hair.

"I think it's good we waited," Monica murmured, "it may not make sense to a lot of people, but we've changed so much over the years and now it's just the right time."

In response he kissed her again, making her toes curl deliciously. She was already getting used to kissing this man.

"So," he grinned as they pulled back and took a sip of his drink, "I guess we have to work out what to tell the others."

"How about nothing," she suggested and his eyes-lit up in surprise.

"Really? You're ok with that?"

"Yeah," she laughed at his surprised face, unable to resist rewarding his lips with a quick kiss. "There's so much going on at the moment, what with Emily and Ross, Rachel and Ross and then Phoebe with the triplets…let's let them deal with their stuff and we'll deal with our stuff."

"Has anyone told you how incredible you are?" he smiled, kissing her before she could respond. "So," he offered her a sincere smile, leaning back to grab his mug indicating she should do the same. Bemused, she followed, grinning as he held his drink in the air, "to us!"

"To us," she agreed as he tapped the cups together in a toast, their eyes meeting and locking together.

She was really looking forward to this 'us'.

* * *

~o~A couple of weeks later~o~

Monica sighed as she stood alone by the abandoned buffet cart. This wedding had been a complete disaster and she felt really bad for her brother. What a nightmare.

"Dance with me?"

She involuntarily shivered as the smooth voice behind her reached her ears. Seconds later she felt the warmth of his body close to hers.

"Here?" she chuckled, turning slightly.

Those gorgeous blue eyes shone back at her as he silently took her hand and quietly led her to a secluded little spot in the corner.

"Aren't you worried that the others will see?" she whispered, her eyes darting around.

Chandler grinned, "let them deal with their stuff and we'll deal with our stuff," he whispered, quoting her words from that evening just a couple of weeks ago. The evening that had changed both their lives for the better. The last couple of weeks had been so amazing; stolen moments, stealthy dates and secret midnight affairs. Ever since she'd started thinking about him this way, she'd known they'd be good together, but had never guessed they'd be _this_ good.

"Still…" she troubled her lower lip as she looked around.

"Mon," he whispered soothingly, placing his arms around her, "I've been dreaming about dancing with you here in London since they announced this damn wedding. Just because Ross screwed up his lines shouldn't mean we have to miss out. I _can't_ miss out on this."

She smiled, wondering when he became so perfect. How could she refuse a request like that? "Ok," she whispered back and his smile was enough to light the room.

He tightened his grip on her as they gently started moving together, like that evening two weeks ago. Only now their bodies were so much more use to each other. They fitted together naturally, arms around each other as they just stared into each other's eyes.

"We should go dancing together regularly," she suggested, as she rested her head against his chest, enjoying being in his arms, "it's nice, I like it."

"I like it too," he whispered into her hair. "How about we go around Saturday nights and gatecrash any weddings that happen to be taking place in the Manhattan area?"

"Or, we could just go to some more classes," she laughed raising her head slightly and he chuckled back ruefully with a small shrug.

"Have I mentioned how hot you look in that dress?" Chandler asked softly, "Emily wasn't very good at choosing a groom but she did a good job on the bridesmaids' dresses."

"Hey," she protested good-naturedly at the jibe at her brother, "and yes, you've mentioned it a few times today."

"Good, because you look _really_ hot, stunning."

She let the compliment wash over her and she smiled. He always managed to make her feel so positive about herself. "You look pretty stunning yourself," she commented, "that suit is something else. You look gorgeous."

His eyes sparkled in gratitude as her hands crept up his chest, over the top of his waistcoat and around his neck.

With just a quick glance to ensure they weren't being watched he pressed his lips to hers, something he'd been craving all day and she closed her eyes, letting the passion wash over her. She loved kissing this man.

"So," he breathed hot in her ear, placing a butterfly kiss there, "there's a wine cellar downstairs, wanna check it out?"

She giggled, pulling back to look at his smiling face, his eyes were dancing with pure happiness and she couldn't stop the feelings of love for this man. She knew it was too early to say it out loud but she definitely felt it.

She swallowed, "we better go explore."

His eyes darkened and she shivered in anticipation, "sounds like a plan," he quipped, grabbing her hand, "let's go."

She couldn't help but laugh as he led her across the room, trying to hide behind people and tables as they attempted to make their way to the cellar unseen. They somehow managed to succeed unnoticed and hurried down the steps, and wedged the door closed.

"Ready for another type of dancing?" he asked her.

She smiled, lost in his gorgeous face. How the hell did she get so lucky? She still couldn't believe her good fortune and as she stared at him, she vowed she'd do everything she could to keep those baby blues sparkling cheekily and that face smiling the way he was now.

Without any hesitation she closed the gap between them, pulling him to her and letting her lips crash onto his. She loved all kinds of dancing with Chandler.

* * *

A/N- Ok, so this story is a result of an illness that in the UK we call 'Strictly Fever' ha ha! Basically, I've been watching a bit too much Strictly Come Dancing (a tv show where celebrities train and perform these amazing dance routines every week). I'm ashamed to say I've totally been bitten by the bug this year and happy to stay in on a Saturday night…although next week is the final so I'll need to find something else to do with my Saturday and Sunday nights….anyway, in summary, you can blame this story on that.

I know it was a loooong old oneshot but it just seemed to flow so nicely that it seemed a shame to split it into chapters. I hope you all enjoyed it and it didn't drag too much.

Would LOVE to hear your comments :o)


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